Gio Reyna has played fewer club minutes this year than any other USMNT player. Hasn't scored or created a goal since January. For months, the rule was: "Players need to perform." Now, Mauricio Pochettino makes an exception for "a special player": www.nytimes.com/athletic/678...

Gio Reyna is back. (and, for the first time, in a USMNT camp with Sebastian Berhalter...) Roster analysis with @paultenorio.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/678...

It may surprise you but Lionel Messi has a soft spot for American soccer — and its future With @paultenorio.bsky.social ⤵️

Inside the USWNT's worst performance yet under Emma Hayes... 🏝️ players "on islands," trying to solve problems as individuals ⚽ "misconnections" in training the two days prior 🦫 "a game of Whac-A-Mole" + more @theathleticfc.bsky.social:

In Austin, I sat with #USMNT legend Landon Donovan to talk about his openness with a big vulnerability and the unexpected reward of sharing his hair journey with the public. “We’re just people struggling, trying to figure it out and doing the best we can,” he said. www.nytimes.com/athletic/672...

In Philly for USWNT camp this week. Chatted with Alyssa Thompson about... - moving to Chelsea, and why - how the leap from LA to London will help her grow - "What are you gonna do without Gisele?” and more: www.nytimes.com/athletic/673...

Took a first crack at a #USMNT 2026 World Cup roster with @henrybushnell.bsky.social. Had the hardest time picking depth in midfield and deciding if Yunus Musah would play his way back into the team. www.nytimes.com/athletic/672...

News: a U.S. Soccer-led committee proposes a shake-up of college soccer. The recommended men's model would override current conferences, include an element of pro/rel, and extend the season fall-spring. Spoke with Cindy Parlow Cone, JT Batson + others, and dove in @theathletic.com:

Loved the mentality from USMNT's Chris Richards last night after the Christian Pulisic injury: "They’re lucky it was a friendly, I was ready to go. And if (the ref) didn’t give me a s*** yellow.. I probably would’ve killed somebody.” From @henrybushnell.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Story + analysis w/ @paultenorio.bsky.social on the USMNT's 2-1 win over Australia, overshadowed by Christian Pulisic's early exit. For now, it's an undisclosed leg injury (not necessarily ankle). Team spokesman said he's being assessed. More to come. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Last week, USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino posted a cryptic photo on social media about culture. @henrybushnell.bsky.social has more on how Chick-fil-A’s chairman inspired Pochettino’s "culture" message ⤵️ www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

Mauricio Pochettino first heard the quote from Chick-fil-A's chairman, over breakfast in Georgia earlier this year. Last week, it was posted in the USMNT's meeting room, handwritten by Poch himself. "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Poch tells @theathletic.com the story behind his message:

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: I'm back. www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...

The Weston McKennie dilemma:

Last month, amid losses and negativity, Mauricio Pochettino told his USMNT players to "keep calm." He essentially told us, the media, to chill with the overreactive, "bullshit" criticism. He was right. Piece from Austin last night: www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Folarin Balogun shined and got a deserved goal to equalize Enner Valencia’s superb first half finish in #USMNT’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador. www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Thousands of fans used the FIFA Collect platform to purchase digital collectibles that came with the 'right to buy' (RTB) actual World Cup tickets. Now, after values of RTBs collapsed and details of how it all works emerged, many fans feel 'ripped off.' ✍️ @henrybushnell.bsky.social

FIFA sold them the "Right To Buy" 2026 World Cup tickets. Now, some fans feel "taken advantage of," "pissed," "ripped off." Story on the uproar surrounding a first-of-its-kind World Cup scheme, RTBs, @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Darlington Nagbe decided over the summer that 2025 would be his last season in MLS. He stayed quiet about until today. Nagbe, and those closest to him, spoke to The Athletic about his decision and the emotional conflicts of his announcement. www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

News: 2026 World Cup "variable pricing" is already off and running. Prices increased slightly (~5%) for at least nine games after the very first day of sales. Sure seems like demand is high, despite the backlash: www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...

Outside of USMNT camps, Mauricio Pochettino hardly communicates with players. It's a stark departure from the Berhalter era, but there's a method to the apparent madness. w/ @paultenorio.bsky.social, inside Pochettino's strategy and silence: www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

#USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino and his staff have taken a different approach to communication: they don't talk much to players outside of camp. It has a purpose. With @henrybushnell.bsky.social, a deep dive on Poch wanting players to talk with their play: www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

NEW: FIFA are charging BOTH resellers & buyers a 15 per cent fee on its official 2026 World Cup ticket resale platform, which launched Thursday and almost immediately had some tickets listed for tens of thousands of dollars. Story with @henrybushnell.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...

2026 World Cup ticket prices are (much) higher than: 🏆 all previous World Cups 🥇 all Olympics 🔮 projections in the 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽 bid ⚽️ Euros, Champions League & more Only real comparison: the NFL and Super Bowls. A piece placing WC prices in context:

the (almost-)A-team www.nytimes.com/athletic/668...

We've now published a full breakdown of ticket prices for all 2026 World Cup games, sourced from screenshots and data sent by fans to @theathleticfc.bsky.social. Table in the story below.

We've now published a full breakdown of ticket prices for all 2026 World Cup games, sourced from screenshots and data sent by fans to @theathleticfc.bsky.social. Table in the story below.

Ticket prices for the USMNT's World Cup opener in LA: – Category 1: $2,735 – Category 2: $1,940 – Category 3: $1,120 Prices for the 2026 World Cup final: – Category 1: $6,730 – Category 2: $4,210 – Category 3: $2,790 More prices and info here @theathletic.com:

Christian Pulisic goals + assists per 90 minutes so far this season for AC Milan (in all comps): 2.1 Ridiculous form. Today, he took Milan to the top of Serie A. www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Trump said he'll move World Cup games out of cities that aren't "safe." ... Can he do that? Hint: Almost certainly not. Full answer, + reaction from cities and organizers @theathletic.com:

In the 11 days since we published this, and as it opened the first 2026 WC ticket lottery, FIFA has pushed Right To Buys *hard*. FIFA Collect has done ~$3 mil in sales. Two of the platform's three biggest weeks on record. (For those asking: these are totally unrelated to the lottery.)

I visited Guadalajara to get a sense of the culture and see how the city is preparing for the 2026 World Cup www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

A 2026 World Cup ticket rule that FIFA hardly communicated has sparked confusion. There's a one-application-per-household limit. But what, exactly, constitutes a household? Spouses and roommates are wondering whether to delete entries. FIFA has *some* answers:

The first 2026 World Cup ticket lottery is open. Despite no urgency — no preference will be given to the earliest applicants, FIFA has said — fans are experiencing hour-long waits. And some, after waiting, are getting error messages. "Extraordinary" demand, FIFA spox says...

For years, the USMNT has had a striker problem. Last night, Folarin Balogun reminded us that, if healthy, he's the solution. www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Christian Pulisic speaks… "There's probably not as much drama as you guys think there is,” he said with a smile. Then, he waited outside the postgame mixed zone for Cristian Roldan. They walked across the field together, back to the team bus, happy, victorious. All, it seems, is well.

Different vibes than Saturday…

EXCLUSIVE: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is calling on FIFA to end dynamic pricing on World Cup tickets. His petition “Game Over Greed” also demands that FIFA reinstates a cap on ticket resales and sets aside 15 percent of tickets for local residents at a discount.

Balo is the No. 9. Roldan is an animal. Arfsten — surprise! — is a wingback, not a fullback. Takeaways from USMNT-Japan, with @paultenorio.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

A week ago, Cristian Roldan was on vacation, and not even on the USMNT's *provisional* roster. Tonight, he starts vs. Japan.

Japan, meanwhile, is playing a fully rotated team. 11 changes from the 0-0 draw with Mexico. No Mitoma, no Endo, no Minamino, etc. ... none of the big guns.

NEW: For decades, the American goalkeeper was everpresent at the game's highest level. Mere months from hosting a World Cup, the position has never been more uncertain for the USMNT. A deep look at the falloff, and the work being done to restore a former strength. www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

This, per Elo ratings, is the worst USMNT of the 21st century. On Saturday, they looked like a disjointed mess. Their only hope, essentially, is that pre-World Cup messes don't matter. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

FIFA made millions of dollars selling the "right to buy" 2026 World Cup tickets before putting the actual tickets on sale. New @theathleticfc.bsky.social story on the FIFA Collect scheme: www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

The USMNT, over the past 3+ years, has now been an away team on home soil vs. opponents from all five major soccer confederations. Part of that is a natural (and beautiful) consequence of being the United States. Part of it, also, is absolutely a commentary on this uninspiring team.

Within this spot-on @paultenorio.bsky.social column on the state of the USMNT, a memo to Mauricio Pochettino: "The U.S. isn’t Argentina." You can't just bring in dudes to create internal competition when the dudes aren't close to international level. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

One team (and their fans) seems ready for the World Cup… Awesome Korean showing today

Sad. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

overwhelmingly a pro-Korea crowd in Jersey

Hello from the former Red Bull Arena, where Korean players just came out for warmups. The reception was twice as loud as the one the USMNT got minutes earlier. Sure looks like it’ll be another away game on home soil.